This invention relates to a novel process for preparing dimethylaminosilanes. More particularly, this invention relates to a novel process for preparing dimethylaminosilanes by reacting particulate silicon with dimethylamine.
Dimethylaminosilane compounds are well known in the art as are various methods for their preparation. For instance the most common method for preparing such silanes is by the reaction of dimethylamine and a halosilane. Other methods that have been reported involve the reaction of an amine with silicon sulfide (SiS.sub.2) or an organometallic silane, the reaction of a hydridosilane with an amide and reactions involving the exchange of one amino group for another on silicon. All such methods have at least one common disadvantage in that they all require that the silicon be first converted to an intermediate material (e.g. chlorosilane) prior to formation of the desired aminosilane. Moreover, such an extra step in the formation of dimethylaminosilanes can also lead to undesirable by-products that must also be removed from the desired aminosilane product. This latter drawback is especially evident in the reaction of chlorosilane with dimethylamine which liberates undesirable hydrogen chloride.
It has now been surprisingly discovered that dimethylaminosilanes can be easily obtained by employing the process of this invention which comprises directly reacting particulate silicon with dimethylamine.